FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9158, 4 August 1908, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

RIOT AT A MELBOURNE MATCH.

BY TELEGRAPH —PBESS ASSOCIATION

Received August 3, 9.55 a.m. MELBOURNE, August 3. The football match between the Brighton and Port Melbourne teams culminated in a riot. The referee was knocked down and sustained a slight concussion of the brain.

TROUBLE~WITH THE MAORI TEAM. Received August 3, 1.15 p.m. SYDNEY, Augusta. It has transpired that Saturday's match between the Maoris and an Australian team was not postponed on account of the rain, but was abandoned owing to a dispute between the Maori team and the league over money matters. On Saturday the following notice, signed by Fakere, the secretary, and Asher, manager, of the team, was handed to the secretary of the Rugby League:— "Owing to the delays which have taken place in obtaining monej for our team, the members have decided to abandon today's match and all other engagements." Asher, interviewed, stated that the secretary of the league, having got an order of the court to stop money comirlg to certain members, stopped it from the whole team. "The men," he added, "want the money they allege they are entitled to, and are not going to play for the benefit of the league. They may as well abandon thej tour. Another thing is: When the team went to Brisbane we left eleven men in Sydney, but when we reached Newcastle we found that these had been sent after us. The team declined to pay the charges ,of sending them to Newcastle; also some other charges are in dispute." Asher stated that the team were paid fully up to the time of the court granting an injunction. "Our point is," he said, "that the money should not be withheld from the men against whom there is no injunction, and that is our legal advice. The league has broken its contract, and that is why we will not play-," The league officials, in reply, claim that they have been debarred from paying any moneys to the team under the injunction granted in the Jack case.

A match against New South Wales fixed for to day will not be played. It is proposed to form a new team, which will endeavour ,to arrange matches between Sydney arid New Zealand. < '

Arrangements have been made to play the match WelchiFamily versus W.F.C.A., on the Showgrounds, on August 13th r the losers to treat the winners to a dinner, the winners to pay for the ground. A collection yyill be made at the gate in aid of the hospital. The members of the Wairarapa team that toured the South Island, with the exception of F. Barry, returned home yesterday. Most of the team are suffering from colds. The annual re-union of the Bank and Law and Stock and Station Agents' Clerks, will take place .on Thursday evening in the Exchange Buildings, at 7 o'clock. In the afternoon the fontballmatch will be p,layed on the Showgrounds, commencing at 3.30 o'clock. A collection will be taken up at the gate in aid of the hospital, and as the match is likely to be a good one there will probably be a large attendance; of the public. I The Mangatainoka Seniors "met Itonini, at Konini, on Saturday afternoon, and 'were defeated by 11 points to nil. A member of the Mangatainokajteam injured one of his shoulders badly, whifch will prevent him from playing again this season. Pahiatua forfeited to Nireaha.